sacred chow in nyc

recently i took a little tasting tour of new york city, what’s considered to be by many the best vegan-friendly place in the usa, right up there with portland. i had a whole list of neat restaurants i wanted to try, and couldn’t even begin to fit them all in. i mean, check out happycow or supervegan, there are just sooooo many. over the next few posts, i’ll be bringing you several installments of quarrygirl eats nyc, and tell you about all our cool (and not so cool) dining experiences.

of all the well-reviewed eateries, one place i knew i absolutely had to check out, was sacred chow. it came with a very high recommendation from the folks at vegan-la, and was said to serve the best breakfast ever. unfortunately, i went on a friday just before noon without realizing that they only offer breakfast/brunch on the weekends. it all turned out for the best though, because the lunch was out of this world. i’m sure i missed out by not trying their brunch, but hey, it just gives me another reason to return to nyc!

although sacred chow wasn’t serving up the weekend brunch when my husband and i visited, they did have a weekday special bowl that was customizable. they had different proteins, carbs and vegetables to choose from all served up in a pipin’ hot little package for i think around 8 bucks. we opted for the western tofu on soba with a mixture of collard greens and broccoli. it was absolutely delicious.

the entire bowl was filled with succulent vegetables and the most firm and luscious tofu ever, all slathered in the creamiest of tahini sauces. the waiter even brought us and entire bottle of squeezy hot sauce, which we used to drench everything in the bowl. the soba noodles were cooked just right, and there weren’t too many of them…which was great. so many times in restaurants, bowls come almost filled to the top with carbs, with a pitiful amount of protein and vegetables that look more like a garnish. not this sucker. it was freakin’ filled right up with the good stuff and the noodles were almost an afterthought. just enough to swirl around and soak up the yummy sauce, without being overwhelming.

the best thing about this bowl though, was definitely the western tofu. i’m talking huge firm slices that had a completely different texture than the tofu i’m used to. i don’t know how sacred chow made such a simple dish so mouth-watering. hearty long strips of protein grilled on each side and bursting with flavor. if you are ever in manhattan, you gotta try this.

next up, we decided to share a hero sandwich, also made with western tofu. mmmMMMMMmmm. just as good as the bowl, for sure.

grilled western tofu hero: thickly sliced western tofu, dill soy-mayonnaise, mixed greens served on a toasted french baguette with chow slaw, pickle, and casein-free mozzarella

the photograph doesn’t really do this sandwich justice at all. there was so much thick and tasty tofu inside, and some of the best vegan cheese i’ve ever tasted. not to mention the insane dill mayo, this sammy was off the hook! crusty bread, creamy sauce, melty cheese and spongey yet crispy tofu made for the yummiest combo ever. and the chow slaw was incredible as well. i think it was cabbage mixed up with a mystery concoction of curry powder, vegenaise, and other savory flavors. this hero is one of my favorite sandwiches ever. seriously, the same irresistible tofu from the bowl above took on a completely new life in this dish. it would be hard for me to return to sacred chow and order something else. it so hit the spot.

on top of all the great food, sacred chow also has a very sweet and inviting atmosphere. oh yeah, and TAP BEER! not to mention tapas, tons of wine, and a huge selection of baked goods, including cupcakes, bars and brownies. that’s right, there really is nothing not to like about this place. if i lived in nyc, i’d be hitting up sacred chow AT LEAST once a week. seriously, we need more joints like this in los angeles.

groovy sacred chow interior

so while i’m bummed that i didn’t get to try anything off of the huge appetizing brunch menu, i’m glad i got to try some of the awesome lunch items at sacred chow. eating there was one of the highlights of my trip, and knowing i missed out on brunch just means i HAVE to return.

so remember this place when you are in new york city, and make it your mission to eat here.

13 responses to “sacred chow in nyc”

I’ve never been to Sacred Chow, but I’ll put it on my list! I’m so glad you enjoyed Counter and I can’t wait to see what you wrote about it! Missed meeting you in person at the Meetup on Saturday, but hopefully very soon. 🙂

Your description makes that western tofu sound delicious… but I gotta admit, it’s appearance leaves a lot to be desired. It looks gross! That tofu looks like exactly what I imagine all non-vegetarians fear and ridicule most about vegetarian food. Not being one of the scoffers of course I’d love to try it and certainly take your word for it that it was great, but if there was ever a stereotypical version of tofu that would make a meat-eater run for the hills, I’m willing to bet this one is it! I’m not dissing your photos, which are great… just sayin’ that tofu sure ain’t the most appetizing looking bean on the block 🙂

vegyogini, lisa and melisser: you girls should definitely add this to your list of places to hit up in NYC.i’m just sad i didn’t get to go there more than once. for real, the brunch looked incredible!

foodeater: wha???? you don’t like the looks of that tofu? dude it was scrumptious. i don’t ALWAYS like tofu myself, but this was amazing. i think even carnivores would love it. it was cooked and seasoned really well, not boring at all.

Meant no offense of course, I totally believe you it was awesome and I’m sure I’d gobble it right up. But yeah, something about the look of the texture and bland color just looks kinda icky to me… I think it’s reminding me of chunk tuna.

foodeater: yep, i see how it’s definitely not as sexy as some tofu. haha. but looks aren’t everything! there is only one way to sort this out, you gotta go to manhattan and try it for yourself! it’s on!!! :p

btw, i still can’t bring myself to eat a soy shrimp…purely because of what they look like. i just can’t do it.

AAAH I love Sacred Chow! It’s really close to my house – yummm. Next time you’re here you’re going to have to hit me up so I can take the culinary tour with you. So many amazing vegan restaurants here.

Oh it’s so on! I’ve actually been gearing up to plan a trip to New York, so this challenge has definitely brought me one step closer. I’m totally down with eating ugly tofu, especially one that comes so highly recommended.

As for the soy shrimp I totally understand, but at the same time, I also know the tastiness you are missing out on. I guess we’re in the same boat here 🙂

Great choice indeed! I frequent Sacred Chow for brunch on the weekends. It ranks as my second favorite brunch spot in the city (behind Mana in upper west side). When you come back again, definitely hit the brunch. You can select a number of flavorful greens and stack them up into a tower if you want to be really healthy. They also have an amazing french toast (topped with fruit and chocolate), and a pastry-like omega-3 waffle to satisfy your sweet tooth and carb cravings.

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[…] chow is a cute little vegan restaurant in nyc, and ever since we had a good experience there a couple years ago, i have been dying to return for brunch. it’s only served on weekends, and the menu is small […]